Part of a series, Geology of Construction Materials aims to show the connections between academic geology and the needs of the extractive industry by recognising that there is a direct relationship between the processes of mineral formation in the Earth's crust and the mode of occurrence and essential properties of the mineral.

In a field of mature bananas, plants can be seen at all stages of vegetative growth and fruit maturity, providing a fascination for anyone who has an interest in growing crops. Banana farmers in the tropics can harvest fruit every day of the year. The absence of seasonality in production is an advantage, in that it provides a continuity of carbohydrate to meet dietary needs as well as a regular source of income, a feature that perhaps has been under-estimated by rural planners and agricultural strategists. The burgeoning interest in bananas in the last 20 years results from the belated...